Wire-rolling machne.



B. U. EDDY & C. C. ABBOTT.

WIRE ROLLING MACHINE.

4 APPLICATION FILED JULY 29. 19MB.

Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

4 SHEETSSHEET l.

U". m uw ...m it ab m a u F h OUC T. .t ns ew m! n w w m ww B 8.2

B. U. EDDY & C. C. ABBOTT.

WIRE ROLLING MACHINE. APPLICATION men mm 29. I916.

Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

Invent ors m b db fl U c E ma} ID 0C B by I ( mdqttom y B. U. EDDY & C C. ABBOTT.

WIRE ROLLING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 29 "mwms,

Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

Inventors:

Cbrles C. bbott m d E U m m U o B B. U. EDDY & C. C. ABBOTT. WIRE ROLLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29. 1916.

1,260,526, Patented Mar. 26,1918.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4- Inventors:

Bougbton U. Eddy,

Charles C. lbb ott,

88 by x BOUGHTON U. EDDY 7. "ii, W l 7 it OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

WIRE-ROLLIN G MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2d, 191%.

Application filed July 29, 1916. Serial No. 112,185.

, To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, BOUGHTON U. EDDY and CHARLES C. ABBOTT, citizens of the United States, residing at Pittsfield, in the county of Berkshire, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Rolling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a wire rolling machine which is particularly useful in the manufacture of what is known in the art as sheathed wire.

It has hitherto been proposed to make compound or sheathed wire for heating devices and the like by surrounding a core of resistance material with a metallic sheath and interposing between the core Wire and the sheath a layer of electric insulating material which is at the same time a good conductor of heat. The ingot thus prepared is rolled or swaged down to such a diameter that when the sheathed wire is to be used for heating work and the like, the core wire acquires the required resistance. In sheath wire of this character it is necessary to provide terminals for the core wire of better conductivity than the core and electrically joined thereto. In a patent which was issued to W. R. l/Vhitney, #1,093,512, April 14th, 1914, is disclosed a method of making sheathed wire of the character above described with enlarged terminals which are integral with the core wire.

Our present invention has for its object the provision of a wire rolling machine having rolls provided with a plurality of grooves and which automatically reduces the wire as it passes through the successive grooves and preferably at the same time forms the wire with enlarged terminals of the general character shown in the Whitney patent referred to. While we have mentioned a specific kind of Wire for the manufacture of which our machine is especially applicable, it will of course be understood that the machine may be used in the manufacture of other wire.

Other objects of our invention will appear in the specification, and will be more'particularly pointed out inthe claims.

Referring now to the drawing: Figure 1 is a side view of a machine embodying our invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a side view of a therewith, and bed portion of the machine viewed from the opposite side from that shown in Fig. 1, and s owing certain parts in section; Fig. 5 is a deta led view of certain parts shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation on the line 6 -5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 1, of a part of the machine; Fig. 8 is a detailed view illustrating one step in the operation of the contacts controlling the operation of the clutch magnet; Fig. 9 is a section of the clutch which controls the raising and lowering of the lower roll; Fig. 10, is a side view showing one of the blocks in which one end of the lower roll is mounted; Fig. 11 is. a front view of the lower roll showing certain parts which 00- operate therewith for transferring the wire to the successive grooves; Fig. 12 is a diagram of the circuits; and Fig. 13 is a section of sheathed wire provided with an enlarged terminal which may be made in accordance with our invention.

In the drawings, 10 is the frame of the machine comprising a standard 10 for sup porting the rolls and the parts cooperating plates 1O which carry posts 10 for supporting the work. The upper roll 11 of the machine is stationary, while the lower roll 12 is movable. The rolls are provided with a plurality of grooves 13 which are preferably angular and each pair of which forms a diamond-shaped opening so that the wire is rolled to a substantially square cross section. The grooves are progressively smaller from one side of the machine to the other, so that as the wire passes from one pair of grooves to the next, it is reduced in cross section. The ends 14 of the sheathed or other wire 15 to be reduced are secured to clamping members 16 on carriages 17. The carriages are preferably provided with rollers 18 which engage tracks 19 which may be in the form of bars which are rectangular in cross section.

The machine may be operated by an electric motor 20, the shaft of which is provided with two pulleys 21 which, through belts 22 and 23, operate the pulleys 24 and 25 I mounted on a shaft 26. The two latter pulleys are driven in opposite directions and are loosely mounted on sleeves 24 and 25 surrounding a hollow shaft 26 (see Fig. 4) and constitute part of a friction clutch for reversing the direction of rotation of the rolls. The friction clutch also comprises a friction wheel 27 having a double beveled outer face for engaging beveled inner faces of the respective pulleys 24 and 25. The

wheel 27 is secured by means of a pm 27 to a shaft 28 received within the hollow shaft 26, which pin passes through slots 27 b in the shaft 26 so that the shaft 28 and the pulley 27 which is secured thereto are lonitudinally movable with respect to the shaft 26, but'all rotate together. The shaft 28 is moved longitudinally by a lever 29 pivoted at 30. The outer end of the lever 29 is attached to a head 31 which is in turn secured to the shaft 28, while its inner en is connected to a piston rod 32' connected to a piston (not shown) within a fluid pressure cylinder 33. The piston is positively operated in each direction according as air is admitted to one end or the other of the cylinder, as will be more fully hereinafter e plained. A worm 34 is mounted on the shaft 26 and engages a worm wheel 35. From the worm wheel 35 the rolls 11 and 12 are driven in opposite directions by a train of gearing which is represented in general by the reference letter A and Which need not be more specifically described.

The mechanism for reversing the direction of rotation of the rolls comprises a member B which includes two substantially vertical rectangular frames f the b, b on either side 0 rolls. Each frame is pivoted on a bar 36, and carries at its upper .which is beveled from one side of the machine to the other (as shown in Fig. 2) on the face remote from the rolls. The frames 5, b are connected by the bars 38, (but one of which is shown in the drawings) one of which is provided with a pro ection as shown in Fig. 1, which operates a valve controlling the admission of air to the respective ends of the cylinder 33. The carriages 17 to which the ends of the sheathed wire are secured, are provided with knock-out pins 39 which engage the respective bars 37, the one at the end of a pass in one direction and the other at the end of a pass in the opposite direction. These shift the frames and operate the valve to change the admission of air to the opposite sides of the piston of cylinder 33. The piston rod 32 operates the lever 29 and shifts the shaft 28 and also shifts the friction wheel 27' which is secured thereto into engagement with one or the other pulley 24 or 25 and thus reverses the direction of rotation of the rolls.

The mechanism for opening the rolls at the end of one or more passes will now be described. On a shaft 40 mounted above the rolls (see Fig. 9) is loosely mounted a ear 41 meshing with one of the gear wheels of the train A and provided on one side with a hub 42 claw clutch C. The coiiperating member 65 43 of the clutch rotates with the shaft 40' end a cross bar 37,

which forms one part of aaacoeae but is movable longitudinally thereof in the usual manner. The member 43 is operated by a piston rod 44 connected to a piston in a cylinder 45. An arm 46 is provided with a yoke surrounding the member 43 and is pivoted at one end to a stationary bracket and at the other end to the piston rod 44. A coiled spring 47 is interposed between a collar 48 secured to the rod 44 and a stationary part of the frame. When air is admitted to the cylinder 45, the piston rod 44 is forced to the right as viewed in Fig. 9 against the action of the spring 47, and until the outer end of the rod which passes through the frame of the machine is flush with the face thereof. The admission of air to the cylinder 45 is controlled by a valve member 49, (see Fig. 6) the operation of which is, in turn, controlled by a magnet 50, the magnet being pzovided with an armature which is connected to the valve as shown 2. The magnet 50 is controlled by a pair of contacts 69 and- 70, which are opened and closed in response to the movement of the wire supporting carriages. The contact 69 is carried by an arm 71 loose on the shaft on which one of the members 5 is pivoted, which arm is biased anti-clockwise as viewed in Fig. 8 by a spring 72. The contact is carried on an elbow lever 73 fast on the same shaft, which lever is provided with a stop 74 which is engaged by the arm 71, to limit the movement of' the same. In Fig. 1 these contacts are shown in their normally open position. Now, when the carriage 17 at the right as viewed in Fig. 7 is brought into the position there shown, the knock-out pin 39 engages the bar 37 and rocks the frame 5 and thus the shaft carrying the arms on which the contacts 69 and 70 are mounted, and as the arm 71 is at this time secured in position by a detent as will directly appear, and the arm 73, which is secured to the shaft is rocked anti-clockwise, the contacts are brought into engagement as shown in Fig. 7 An arm 75 positioned beneath the lower roll is pivoted at 76 and is provided at its free end with a detent 77 which normally engages the lower end of the arm 71 and restrains the outward movement thereof. The arm is forced upwardly by a compression spring 78. This arm carries a projection 75 in the path of movement of one of the blocks carrying the lower roll as shown in Fig. 8, so that when the under roll is loweredaway from the upper, the arm 75 is depressed and the detent 77 releases the arm 71. As soon as the rolls are closed, the arm 75 is again lifted and when the other half of the pass is made, the other carriage moves the frames 5, b in the opposite direction, thus moving the contact member clockwise and leaving the contacts in the open position shown in Fig. 1. It

aaeaeae that the contacts69, end of each double pass the rolls. On the shaft eccentrics 51 surrounded by blocks 52 which raise and lower the un= der roll by means of rods 53 attached at their lower ends to members 54 secured to the blocks 54 in'which the ends of the lower roll are mounted (see Fig. 10). The circuit of the magnet 50 is also controlled by a pair of contacts 55, 56 one of which 55 is stationary while the cotiperating contact 56 is mounted on an arm secured to one of the blocks in which the lower roll is mounted. Referring to the shown in Fig. 12, it will be seen that these contacts constitute a master circuit breaker for the entire system, and control a magnet 65, the function of which will be more fully hereinafter described, as well as the magnet 50. Since the circuit of the magnet 50 is opened at the contacts 55, 56 as soon as the rolls open it is necessary to provide mechanism for maintaining the clutch C closed while the opening and closing'operation of the rolls is being completed. For this purpose an arm 58 is pivoted on the frame of the machine with one end adjacent the free end of the piston rod 44. This arm is forced upwardly by a spring 59 surrounding a will thus be apparent 70 are closed at the of the wire through are mounted two stem 60, the spring being interposed between a collar 61 secured to the stem and a stationary part. When the piston rod is moved to the right as viewed in Fig. 9, the end of the lever 58 rises and assumes a position behind the end of therod 44 and locks the same in the position to which it is moved and keeps the clutch in a closed position until the shaft 40 has made a complete revolution corresponding to a complete opening and closing movement of the rolls, at which time the clutch is opened in a manner that will now be described. The opposite end of the lever 58 is provided with a projection 62 which is engaged by a cam 63 carried by a collar 64 mounted on the end of the shaft.

In order to leave the rolls in the opened position when the wire has made its last pass in the last pair of grooves, mechanism is provided for then tripping the lever 58 and releasing the rod 44, when the rolls are in their separated position. This mecha nism is controlled by a magnet 65 which is in turn controlled by a pair of contacts which are closed when the wire supporting carriage 17 has moved completely across the machine. One of the contacts 66 (see Figs. 6 and 12) is stationary, while the other contact 67 is mounted on the wire supporting carriage. The armature of the magnet 65 actuates a toggle 65*, one mem? ber of which is pivoted to a stationary part at 65*, the other member being pivoted at its free end at 65 to an arm 65. The latter is connected by a link 65 to the arm 58. Nors,

diagram of connections grooves, comprises a shaft 79 mally the toggle 65 is sprung outwardly by means of a spring 65*. When the magnet 65 is energized the toggle 65 is straightened as shown in Fig, 5, the end of the arm 65 is lifted and a projection 65 carried by said arm is brought into the path of movement of the cam member 63 so that when the shaft 40 has made a half revolution, at which time the rolls will be separated the cam 63' engages the projection 65 and presses down the arm 65 and through the link 65 the end of the arm 58, and thereby frees the piston rod 44 which is then returned to its original position.

Inasmuch as the magnet 65 is deenergized at the contacts 55 and 56 as soon as the rolls begin to open, provision is made for locking the armature of the magnet 65 in its attracted position and maintaining the toggle straightened until such time as the rolls have been brought to their opened position. This is accomplished by providing the extension 65 of the magnet 65 with a notch 65 which is engaged by the lower end of the stem surrounding the extension when the stem is in its elevated position due to the elevated position of the outer end of the lever 58. As soon as the lever is rocked by the engagement of the cam 63 with its projection 62, the stem 60 releases the extension 65 and the toggle is returned to its normally bent position.

Referring toFig. 12 it will be seen that the circuit through the contacts 66, 67 and the magnet 65 is closed only when'the contacts 69, have been brought into engagement. This sequence of operation of the contacts is necessary in order that the last passin the last groove may be completed after the wire has been brought to this groove. It will also be apparent that the magnet 50 is energized simultaneously with the magnet 65. The magnet 65 is also con trolled by a switch 91 arranged in shunt to the contact 66, 67 in order that the rolls may be permanently opened at any stage desired by the operator.

The mechanism for moving the wire laterally of the machine to the successive (see Fig. 11) WhlCll is rotated by a pawland ratchet mechanism in response to the movement of the lower roll, which shaft is provided with one or -more gears 80, which engage racks 81 secured on transversely movable carriages 82 on which the bars 19 are mounted, so that each time the shaft is rotated the carriages supporting the wire are shifted laterally an amount sufficient to move the wire from one groove to the next smaller groove. The rotation of the shaft 79 is effected by a pawl 83 mounted on a part movable with the lower roll. This pawl engages a ratchet wheel 84 secured on the shaft 79, as shown in Fig. 11. In order to throw the pawl 83 out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 84 when the wire reaches the last groove, a laterally movable bar 83, mounted in guide blocks 83 is provided with an arm 83 which engages a pin 83 on the pawl 83 when'the bar 83 is moved to the right as viewed in Fig. 11. The bar 83 is shifted to the right by an arm 83 attached to the bar 19 which engages an upwardly projecting arm 83*- on the bar 83 when the carriagebrings the wire to the last groove. When the carriages supporting the wire are shifted laterally, pinion 17*, secured to the rotatable clamp 16 for the wire, engages wire is rotated usually through an angle of ninety degrees as it is moved from one groove to the next. This is for the purpose of preventing fins from forming on thecorhers and the metal sheath from splitting at the angle.

The wire is held taut between the carriages to which it is secured by means of wires or cables 85 which are connected at one end to the respective carriages and which pass over pulleys 85" and are wound on drums 86. Piston rods 88, which are connected to the pistons of cylinders 87 are provided with racks 89 engagingpinions 90 mounted on the shafts carrying the drums 86. The piston rod is normally forced outwardly by the air pressure 0 the cylinder so that a force is exerted which normally tends to wind the cable 85 on the drum 86 and thus tends to separate the carriages holding the wire and keep the wire taut. Referring as Fig. 12 it will be seen that the magnet is under the control of a pair of contacts 92 and 93, the contact 92 being carried by a bar 92 secured at one end to a collar 94 carried on one of the piston rods 88, while the other contact 93 is carried by the otherpiston rod. contact 93 adjacent the contact 93 and insulated therefrom is connected in parallel with the contacts 69 and 70, to the magnet 50, the. contact 92 being wide enough to engage both of the contacts 93 and 93. It will be apparent that by placing the magnet 65 under the control of the contacts 92 and 93, since these contacts are carried by the members 88 and the rate of movement of these members toward each other is roportional to the extension of the wire, t e contacts may be brought together, the magnets 65 and 50 energized and the rolls permanently opened, when the wire has been extended to a predetermined length.

In Fig. 13 we have shown a section of one end of a piece of sheathed wire WhlCl'l may be made in accordance with our invention.

In this figure, 95 is a core wire inclosed 1n 7 a metal sheath 96, with a layer 97 of powdered insulating material such as magnesia a stationary rack 17, so that the A second p from the foregoing description, 1s as follows: A length of wire which is to be reduced; in cross section is secured in the clamping members 16 and the carriages supporting the sheathed wire brought to the pos tion shown in Fig. 6 with the wire in position in the largest groove. When the machine has' been started, the rolls may be brought together initially by manually operating the valve controlling the admission of air to the cylinder 45. When the piston rod controlled by t s cylinder is operated, the clutch C is closed and the shaft &0 carrying the small cam 63 is rotated from the position shown in Fig. 4 until the cam engagesthe projection 62 on the arm 58, and thus releases the piston rod and opens the clutch as above described and this will leave the rolls in the closed position. In the machine which we have here shown, a double pass of the wire is made in each groove. Assuming, then, that the carriages holding the sheathed wire are in the position shown in Fig. 1 and at the extreme left of the ma' chine, the wire is then passed through tht first groove until the knock-cut pin 39 on the carriage at the left of Fig. 1 engages the bar 37 and air is admitted to the cylinder 33, thus operating the clutch to reverse the opposite bar and rocks the frame in the op-' osite direction, at which time the contacts 69 and will be closed as shown in Fig. 7.

"This energizes the magnet 50 and causes the sheathed wire to betransferred to the next smaller groove until' the last groove is reached, when the contacts 66, 6 will be closed, the magnets 50 and 65 will both be 7 ener ized and the rolls permanently opened.

It will be observed, that, since the faces of the bars 37 which are engaged by the knockout pinsof the, carriage are beveled as shown in- Fig. 2, as the carriages carrying the sheathed wire are moved from the side of the machine adjacent to the motor to the other side,'the pins will engage the bars 37 sooner at the successive grooves, and this will result in a longer section of the terminal projecting from the successive grooves and in the formation of a beveled terminal, as shown in Fig. 13.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, we have described the prin- .ing grooves, means for Lan sat ciple of operation of our invention, together with the apparatus which we now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but We desire to haveit understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means within the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A wire rollingmachine comprising rolls formed with a plurality of registering grooves, means for automatically opening and closing the rolls after one or more passes in a given pair of grooves, and cooperatmg means for automatically transferring the wire from a given pair of grooves to the next succeeding pair.

2. A wire rolling machine comprising rolls formed with a plurality of registerlng grooves, means for automatically opening and closing the rolls after one or more passes in a given pair of grooves,and cooperating means for automatically transferring the wire to the next succeedmg pair of grooves and for rotating the same during the transfer.

3. A wire rolling machine comprising rolls formed with a plurality of registermaking one or more passes ineach pair of grooves successively, comprising mechanism for automatlcally opening the rolls after each serles of passes and again closing the same after the passes are completed, for transferring the w 1re from a given groove to the next successlve groove and for permanently openlng the rolls at the end of the passes in the last pair of grooves.

4 A wire rolling machine comprising rolls formed with a grooves, means for making one or more passes in each pair of grooves successively, comprising mechanism for reversing the direction of the rolls at the end of each pass, mechanism for opening the rolls at the end of the pass in each pair of grooves and again closing the same after the passes are completed and for transferring Wire from a given groove to the next successive groove.

5. A wire rolling .machine comprising rolls formed with a plurality of grooves .forming diamond-shaped openlngs, means for making one or more passes in each pair of grooves successively, comprising mechanism for automatically opening the rolls at the end of the passes in each pair of grooves, transferring the wire to the next pair of grooves, and rotating the same through substantially 90 during the transfer.

6. In a wire rolling machine for making wire with enlarged ends, rolls formed with a plurality of registering grooves, means for making one or more passes in each pair rolls to take place plurality of registering of grooves successively, comprising mechanism for reversing the direction of the rolls at the end of each pass and before the wire has completely passed through the rolls, for opening the rolls at the end of the passes in a given pair of grooves and again closing the same after the passes are completed, and

for transferring the wire from a given pair of grooves to the next.

In a wire rolling machine for making wire with enlarged ends, rolls formed with a-plurality of registering grooves, means for making one. or more passes in each pair of grooves successively, comprising mechanism for reversing the direction of the rolls at the end of each pass and before the wire has passed completely through the rolls, and mechanism for causing the reversal of the with a progressively longer terminal section projecting through the rolls, in the successive pairs of grooves, and including mechanism for opening the rolls at the end of each pass, transferring the Wire from a given pair of grooves to the nelzit succeeding pair, and for closing the ro s.

8. A wire rolling machine comprising rolls formed with a plurality of registering grooves, means for automatically opening the rolls after one or more passes in a given pair of grooves, and again closing the same, and means responsive to the opening movement of the rolls for transferring the Wire from a given pair of grooves to the next succeeding pair.

9. A wir rolling machine comprising rolls formed with a plurality of registerin grooves, means for moving the lower ro away from the upper after one or more passes in a given pair of grooves, and then returning the same into engagement with the upper roll, and means responsive to the movement of said roll for automatically transferring the wire from a given pair of grooves to the next succeeding pair.

10. A wire rolling machine comprising rolls formed with a plurality of registering grooves, means for automatically opening and closing the rolls at the end of one or more passes in a iven pair of rooves, means for automatlcally transferring the wire from a given pair of grooves to the next, and means operated when the wire has reached the last pair of grooves for disabling the transfer mechanism.

11. A wire rolling machine comprising rolls formed with a plurality of grooves the size of which progressively diminishes longitudinally of the rolls, means for successively reducing the wire in the various 6 momma maintain the wire taut during the entire reto the next succeeding pair, and means for dlicing operation. permanently opening the rolls when the 10 12. A wire rolling machine comprising wire has attaineda predeteed length.

rolls formed with a plurality of registering In witness whereof, we have hereunto set b grooves, means for automatically opening our hands this 26th day of July 1916.

and closing the rolls after one or more passes in a given pair of grooves, means for trans- BOUGHTON U. EDDY.

LES C. BUTT.

ferring the wire from a given pair of grooves C A i 

